My wife's mother used to sing her a song before she passed on, but she can only remember bits of it. I'm looking for the song's title and lyrics. It may be a kid's song but someone suggested I try a folk music forum. Here's what I have so far:

There once was a boy, there once was a girl, living in the land of Nod.

He asks her, "can you give me just one kiss?"

She says she will not kiss him until "apples grow on the lilac tree."

He leaves very sad, so she has a change of heart. The next day he sees her "hanging apples on the lilac tree."

I've already confirmed it wasn't R.L. Stevenson. Any help would be appreciated.

Holy mackerel!!! I didn't think anyone else knew this song other than the members of my own family. It's a song my mother taught me when I was a kid ... it's a song she taught to her 13 brothers and sisters!!! I'll be happy to share this with you... by the way, are we related? Where do you live?

Metchosin, you're drivin' me crazy! I searched the sheet music collection at Duke University Libary, and couldn't find the song anywhere. Can you give us a link, or at least paste the URL for the song here? Thanks.-Joe Offer-

Sorry Joe, if I can get out of typing an address I do because I usually get them wrong and I don't know how to do the clickety blue thing. Anyways, its on the Front End site not in the search the sheet music site. The location is http://www.lib.duke.edu/music/fendshee.htm I called up the sheet music index and typed in Apples on Lilac Trees and came up with a number of selections. The Songs title is Lilac Tree: Perspicacity

At the risk of stating the obvious (ok, that's one thing I'm good at) . . the "till [fruit 1] grows on a [fruit 2] tree" is at least as old as Shakespere as a way of saying "never". Often preceded by something to the effect of "A maid again I'll never be . .".

Hmmm. I tried going into Duke U's site but can't actually get the sheet music. In my search, I found out that there's a refrain(!!!) and I never heard it! So, now, more than ever, I'm on an all-out search for the complete words-n-music for this song. I'll keep you posted.

This page says that "Tying Apples on a Lilac Tree (a.k.a. Perspicacity)" was recorded as a "soundie" by the Four King Sisters with Alvino Rey and His Orchestra, in 1941.

"Soundies were three-minute juke box movies popular during the 1940s. Some were musical numbers extracted from feature films, while others were made expressly for the machines, which were found in restaurants, taverns, and depots. Like music videos, the performers often acted out a story or theme mentioned in the lyrics."

At various web sites, I also see the title given as LILAC TREE - (PERSPICACITY) THE LILAC TREE OR PERSPICACITY LILAC TREE, THE (PERSPICACITY) THE LILAC TREE (OR PERSPICACITY) THE LILAC TREE

--which makes it hard to find with search engines

It was published in 1920 or 1921, depending on which source you believe.

I know this is an old thread, but I happened across it when I was looking for the same song for my mom. I have also found it on You Tube. Thought I would share it here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1DtsB11fqE

The little boy and the little girl in an ecstacy of bliss Said the little boy to the little girl "Pray give me just one kiss" The girl drew back in great surprise "You're a stranger sir" said she "But I will give you just one kiss, when the apple grows on the lilac tree"

The boy felt very sad at heart, she was the only one The girl felt quite remorseful, at the terrible wrong she had done So bright and early on the very next morn, he was quite surprised to see His little sweetheart standing in the garden Tying apples on the lilac tree.

My Mom sang me this song and I have taught it to my daughters. I have never known anyone else that knew it before. We love it. It may be one of the first ways I learned about irony or perspicacity and understood what expressions like "when hell freezes over," although apples on a lilac tree is much more pleasant to the ear.

Just want to mention that I was as surprised as anyone to learn that there are such things as lilac trees. They are called Japanese Lilac trees, and there is an ancient beautiful one in our town that I know goes back at least three generations because a local grandma climbed it when she was a little girl at her grandpa's farm. I love it so much I went and planted one in my yard for our future generations. It is right next to our apple trees too, who knows what will happen?

The words and melody were written by one Ernest Parkinson in the 1930s on my Grandmother's piano. My Mother was present when a few years later, he sold the music and words to a music publisher as he was quite poor. Mom and Grandma heard it on the radio in the early 1940s, credit being given to the people who now owned it.

When I was in first grade (1959) I was asked to recite this poem for the graduating class of of our school. Immaculate Conception in Connellsville,Pa. I can remember myself in a lilac dress standing next to a boy in my class by a lilac tree tying apples on it and at the end he gave me a peck on my cheek. To this day I still remember it but was so glad to hear where it originated from and that it was a song.

I sang this little lovely in 1950, dressed in blue with a white fluffy organdy pinafore. I was 10. It was part of a repertoire which included THE BIRD ON NELLIE'S HAT, IN MY MERRY OLDSMOBILE, I'M LATE, I'M LATE, MR TAP TOE, I'VE GOT RINGS ON MY FINGERS AND BELLS ON MY TOES, YOU CAN'T GET A MAN WITH A GUN, and then some. I had the proper costume for each song. Little did I know that I would end up being one of only 3 women to record with Elvis Presley (1968, THE TROUBLE WITH GIRLS. Terrible song)!

At this writing I am 77, still making movies and appearing at Elvis events in and out of the US. If you happen to be a fan of horror/thrillesr check out BESETMENT on Amazon Prime. I'm the horror!